“Nope, not at all. I’ll be a minute.”
Char nodded and continued down the hall.
Darcy raced to shower, find a bathing suit and shorts in her half-unpacked suitcase, and get back downstairs.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Char followed her out. Life didn’t get much better than driving north on County Highway H on a bright blue day. After driving down a two-lane road surrounded on either side by pine forest for twenty minutes, Char began to voice her concerns.
“We’re heading to the beach?” she asked in total disbelief.
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“This is what the map said. My GPS doesn’t work here. I had to resort to Rand McNally and this is the way.”
“You’re one hundred percent sure?”
Darcy ignored her. Following the signs for the park, she pulled into a heavily forested parking lot. Char blew out a dramatic sigh. “Let’s just give it a chance, please?” Darcy asked.
They unloaded the car and dragged their gear over a wooden bridge and down a packed dirt path. They wound through trees that showed no sign of letting up until suddenly the path ended in soft, powdery sand.
“See?” Darcy said triumphantly.
The beach butted up against forest as far as they could see. The water looked like glass, perfectly calm and clear, with each pebble, stone, log, and rock in view. They walked through the hard-packed sand to stake out a spot with their towels, then went back for the cooler. As they dropped the cooler on their towels, they heard a man’s voice shouting to them. They turned to see John.
“Hello,” he called again.
“Well you showed up about five minutes too late,” Charlotte teased.
“Sorry, I’m still working on my timing for helping damsels in distress,” he replied.
“How about you help us out now by joining us for lunch? Darcy asked. “Then the cooler will be much lighter on the return trip.”
“That sounds like a deal,” John agreed.
John sank onto one of the towels, and Charlotte joined him, with a decided change in attitude from the evening before. Darcy sat opposite and handed out rolls, chicken salad, chips, and bottles of water.
“So John, what are your recommendations for us while we’re here?” Darcy asked.
“I could tell you, but then you wouldn’t need me as your tour guide,” he replied.
“Oh, don’t worry about that.”
“You definitely need to see the other islands. This is the only inhabited one, but there’s a lighthouse on Raspberry Island that’s worth checking out. And it’s fun to boat around and visit the different beaches.”
“That does sound like fun, but we lack a boat,” Char added.
“And this is exactly where my services come in. Well, probably we should wait until my brother comes to visit. He’s much better with the boat then I am. I never paid attention when we were taught.”
“Oh come on; I’m sure you’re being too modest. It’s got to be like riding a bike, right? You know, I think I’d like to rent a bike while I’m here,” Char said suddenly before turning to John. “Do you like to bike?”
Shock quickly passed over Darcy’s face and she bit her lip. How had Charlotte stumbled onto that topic?
“I do,” John replied. “In fact, I was just out this morning. Did Darcy tell you?”
Char turned to look at Darcy in surprise.
“No, she didn’t,” Char raised a quizzical eyebrow.
“I actually have a couple of extra beach cruisers, if you’d be interested in borrowing one.”
“Thanks, that would be nice,” Char agreed with a smile.
Darcy watched John smile back at Charlotte and realized she’d become the third wheel.
“I think I’m going to take a walk. I ate a little too much,” Darcy announced.
“Sure, we’ll be here,” Charlotte said, waving her off without turning to look.
Darcy kept to the water’s edge, finding it easier to walk on the hard-packed sand. The occasional splash of icy water against her bare feet seemed a small price to pay. They had the beach to themselves, despite the perfect weather. Darcy walked until she stumbled upon a fallen tree. It lay on its trunk with its roots exposed like a gnarly spider web. She could imagine cutting off the roots and covering them with a piece of glass, turning it into a unique coffee table. Darcy turned to call over to Char to come look, and realized how far she’d strayed.
John and Char looked no bigger than ants in the distance. She gathered up her courage and gingerly eased her way into the water. Her first few steps in the icy water felt like stepping on knives. But after continuing in up to her knees, her legs had numbed to the cold. Little fish darted around logs and in between some of the bigger stones before swimming back out to deeper water. Darcy stood in the lake for some time, never seeing another person or even a boat, until she could no longer feel her toes.
She reluctantly made her way back to the beach, regaining feeling in her legs as she went. She wished for a dog. Her summer had turned from one last getaway into a burgeoning summer romance for Char. If she had a dog, at least she’d have some companionship. But she didn’t have time. Her few days off had given her a false sense of vacation.
For nearly four years, Darcy had worked nonstop at the auction house. A deadline always loomed and every sale required constant attention. Her weekends gave way to writing appraisals, contacting buyers with condition reports, and finishing the latest catalog descriptions. She loved the fast pace, but her work-life balance suffered as a result. Darcy stood on the edge of being a success or having a complete emotional breakdown. She loved her work but had come to understand that working as hard as she did for someone else meant she had no time to herself.
She’d gone to her boss to discuss taking time off, but instead she’d been presented with her options quite clearly. Either she look for an opportunity to bring in more property of higher value and thus be given a raise, promotion, and hire an assistant to help her, or she could leave without a very good reference. The terms shocked her. Working her tail off would have been for nothing, and she’d have little to show for it all. She’d of course accepted the challenge, her only real choice, and had been given the Upper Midwest territory by her boss.
Darcy shook off the memory as she reached John and Char. She’d prove herself to her boss, without a doubt. But maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to start thinking of her next move.
John and Char laughed as she approached, their heads nearly touching. Darcy sat down and smiled, eager to be let in on the joke.
“I think I need to head out,” John said. “It was great to see you again,” he told them both but his eyes lingered on Charlotte. “Thank you for lunch.”
“Sure,” Darcy replied.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Char asked.
He smiled broadly. “Absolutely. Good-bye.”
Char and Darcy both waved and watched him retreat to the edge of the forest.
“Tomorrow? How long was I gone?” Darcy asked Charlotte playfully.
Char picked up a stray flip-flop and threw it in response.
Darcy rolled her eyes and slipped off her clothes down to her bathing suit, and lay flat on her back.
“If it’s okay with you,” Char replied, “John said he’d take me on a bike ride around the island.”
“It’s fine with me. I probably need to catch up on e-mail again.”
“Perfect. And maybe we can meet up later for lunch?”
“Sure,” Darcy said with a shrug.
“You’re not going to say anything? You aren’t going to offer a warning?” Char asked incredulously, her mouth gaping open.
“Not at all. You’re right. You know what you’re doing.”
Char squinted at Darcy but closed her mouth.
“Okay,” Char agreed, nodding her head.
“Now can we work on our tans please?”
Char threw the other flip-flop and the
y both laughed.
Chapter Three
Ben pulled into the driveway of the town house a day earlier than he’d anticipated. He parked his car in front of the dark building and noted the bike leaning against the garage door. Where was John? He looked at his watch. It wasn’t even eight yet and the sun hadn’t begun to set, but he’d never known his brother to do more than lounge around the house or bike.
Ben peered into the windows and couldn’t make out anything or anyone. He pulled out his phone to call John when feminine laughter filled the previously quiet night. His interest piqued when he followed the sounds to the house next door. It had been at least a decade since there had been any signs of life coming from next door. He didn’t feel up to company or charming strangers. He didn’t feel like smiling or offering pleasantries. He wanted to talk to his brother. Maybe have a beer then sleep off the stresses of the day. But maybe the new neighbors had seen John. Ben sighed.
He rounded the house by way of the golf course and approached John and two women. John sat next to a pretty redhead and on the end, away from the pair, there was a brunette. She looked like one of any number of women he’d seen before. Her brown hair with streaks of blonde hit above her collarbone and hung straight in a nondescript sort of way. Her V-neck shirt, jeans, and colorful flats seemed serviceable, if not particularly eye-catching.
But everything changed when he caught her hazel eyes.
She looked at him, and the moment their eyes locked protectiveness surged through him. He narrowed his eyes to assess her. What about her had stirred such a primal urge? She smiled at him, a true expression of happiness that reached into her soul and lit up her entire face. He smiled back, finding her smile contagious. Ben moved closer to the table.
“I thought you’d been abducted,” Ben told John. Ben scowled down at his brother, his hands on his hips in mock indignation.
“Ben!” John shouted.
Ben took note of the two empty wine bottles on the table and the glasses in front of his brother and the redhead. He raised an eyebrow at John, who probably couldn’t care less in his current state.
“I thought you were coming tomorrow? What happened?” John asked.
“It seemed silly to linger,” he told his brother. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
“Of course, of course. This is Charlotte Lane and Darcy Rogus. They’re here for the summer.”
Ben looked at each and nodded.
“Please pull up a chair. We have plenty of food,” Darcy offered. She gestured to the full table.
“No, no. I don’t want to intrude. Maybe another time?” he asked the trio.
“Of course,” Darcy said with a smile.
“Nice to meet you,” Char replied, her head in one hand and her eyelids half closed.
Darcy’s eyes widened, nearly popping out of her head. She jumped up from her chair to grab hold of her friend.
“I am so sorry. She had a lot of sun today. She’s completely exhausted. I better get her to bed,” Darcy rushed to apologize.
Ben nodded, unsure what to make of the scene. He watched Darcy struggle to lift her friend out of the chair into a standing position.
“I guess I’ll join you,” John said. He grabbed tight hold of the table to steady himself as he rose.
Ben moved to grab John’s upper arm, but John batted it away.
“Thank you for dinner, Darcy,” John said. “Tell Charlotte I said good night.” He turned to face her and bowed.
Darcy had one of Charlotte’s arms over her shoulders. She nodded at John, and then half walked, half carried Charlotte into the house.
Ben waited until they’d left before turning to glare at his brother.
“What?” John asked a little too loudly.
Ben shook his head in disbelief and walked across the yard to their patio. He slid open the sliding doors and his brother followed him in.
“What?” John asked again.
Within the confines of their house, Ben felt comfortable enough to address him.
“Really, John?” Ben asked. He turned toward his older brother and leveled his most disapproving stare.
“I like her,” John said.
“I can tell. And I’m sure she can too.”
John rolled his eyes and sank into the leather couch in their living room.
“How was . . . everything?” John asked, sobering up.
“Fine,” Ben sighed. “It went like you’d expect.”
John nodded. “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to sell.”
Ben joined his brother in the chair opposite.
“Too late and yes I am. Everything’s changing. No matter what happens, I can’t go back to the way things were before.”
“Aren’t you going to go back to your job?”
Ben shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
The brothers sat in silence for a moment.
“Part of me wants to run away from it all,” Ben continued. “To save all my memories, keep them intact,” he gestured around the room.
John nodded his understanding.
“But I . . .” Ben closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He’d done that so much in the past few weeks that the gesture had become second nature. “I can’t. I can’t do that to her, no matter how painful.”
“I know. Everything about this . . . no part of it is . . .” John paused.
“You get what I’m trying to say,” John said. “And I think you should enjoy yourself this summer. Just relax and have fun.”
Ben smiled, a dangerous grimace that would have been frightening to anyone who wasn’t family.
“I plan on it. Now come help me with my stuff.”
John groaned but followed his Irish twin all the same.
- # -
“Did I tell you how much I love you?” Char asked, her eyelids half-closed as she hung on Darcy.
Darcy rolled her eyes. “Yes Charlotte, you did,” she replied. Darcy shuffled forward, dragging her friend along as she made slow progress to Char’s room. She paused to readjust her grip on her friend’s waist before forcing the door open with her shoulder. Char dropped to the bed and rubbed her strained neck.
“Now just sleep it off,” Darcy told her.
“Hmm. Okay,” Char replied with her face half-buried in the down pillow.
Darcy backed out of the room and sneaked back downstairs. Helping Char into her bed had taken the better part of forty-five minutes. Dinner had been abandoned, and now she had to clean it up. Alone. Darcy sighed. She grabbed an electric lantern from the kitchen and a sweatshirt from the back of a stool at the island, anxious to get on with it.
The smell of a far-off campfire wafted on a cool breeze in the chilly night air. Why didn’t she get to enjoy herself too? Who decided she had to be the cook, caregiver, and cleaning lady? Darcy smiled to herself, wheeled the fire pit onto the patio from the side of the house, and started a fire. She gathered the dishes in her arms and carried them into the house, dumping them into the sink. She pulled over a chair to reach the upper cabinet hiding all the treats. She had to stand on tiptoe to reach inside. Her fingers barely brushed against the bag of marshmallows. She’d nearly grabbed it when the sliding glass door the chair rested against opened.
“Oh my word,” she gasped, breathless, dropping to the ground in a heap and tackling Ben as he reached out to stop her.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked underneath her.
Darcy put a hand to her chest and closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. But it wasn’t just the shock of her fall that raced her heart. Every tiny hair on her body stood at attention as she sat on him; aware of the clean smell of his T-shirt mixed with the musk of his aftershave. She fought a shiver as all her nerve endings tingled at being held by his solid, muscular arms against his rock hard chest.
Darcy cleared her throat and gingerly removed herself from his lap and stood up.
“Maybe I could use a bit of help,” Darcy replied, keeping her eyes downcast as her chee
ks burned.
“Sure, what do you need?” Ben asked.
Darcy pointed to the cabinet overhead. Ben righted the overturned chair, pushed it to one side, and easily pulled out the graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows with his feet flat on the ground. He handed them all to Darcy.
“Will you join me for dessert?” Darcy asked, keeping her eyes focused on the bundle in her arms. She shifted her weight from foot to foot and bit her lip.
Ben chuckled.
Darcy lifted her chin, eager to see if he laughed at her or with her.
“I didn’t mean to startle you or to invite myself over,” he said. “I saw you outside and wondered if you needed any help with your fire. The newspaper didn’t light your wood.”
Darcy’s eyes widened. “It didn’t?”
Ben shook his head slowly. The corner of his mouth twitched upward into a smile.
Darcy pursed her lips. “I guess I could use your help. I’ve never actually done this before,” Darcy admitted.
“Okay,” Ben chuckled. “I’ve got a secret weapon. I’ll be right back.”
Darcy watched him walk out the sliding door and willed herself to act casual. But she couldn’t help but ogle him as he left. Standing somewhere over six feet, Ben had the same sandy hair and blue eyes as his brother, but his features were harder. He was more chiseled than his brother, his shoulders broader, his waist trimmer.
She muttered under her breath the mantra Char had given her years ago, “Be cool.”
She let herself outside and busied herself with arranging the ingredients on the table. Ben came back with a packaged fire starter log, put it in the fire pit, and lit the fire again. This time the starter log instantly caught the flame and a sudden burst of orange illuminated her companion. Ben ran a hand through his hair before putting both hands in his front pockets. The gesture held such smooth, boyish charm that Darcy couldn’t help but smile.
“Thanks.”
Darcy bit her lip before furrowing her brow in an effort to stop noticing things like how tanned his sinewy arms were under the T-shirt he wore.
“Can I offer you a s’more? I’m so sorry about what happened earlier.”
“You don’t need to apologize for anything. I probably do. For knocking you over and for when I burst in during your dinner.”
Tiny Island Summer Page 3